US Youth Soccer William J. “Billy” Goaziou Scholarship Recipients Announced

FRISCO, Texas (May 5, 2014) — US Youth Soccer players Charlotte Pearsall, of Wilmington, N.C., and Danny Miller, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., are the recipients of the sixth annual US Youth Soccer William J. "Billy" Goaziou Scholarships. Both teens play key roles on their soccer teams as well as in their communities.

The scholarships are awarded for post-secondary education. The two $1,000 scholarships are awarded based on community service, giving back to the game of soccer and to honor the memory of William J. "Billy" Goaziou for his outstanding services for soccer and US Youth Soccer. The scholarships are awarded annually through the US Youth Soccer Foundation to one male and one female recipient.

Charlotte Pearsall plays for the Cape Fear Soccer Club’s 95 Wave White, of North Carolina Youth Soccer, which finished as the runner-up in the 2013 US Youth Soccer North Carolina State Cup. She captained her Eugene Ashley High School team the last two seasons while receiving All-State, All-Region and All-Conference honors. In addition to playing, Pearsall remains involved in soccer through refereeing, and she also holds a USSF ‘E’ Coaching License. She has applied her license while serving as a coach for fellow Cape Fear SC teams. Her success on the soccer field is mirrored in the classroom, where she holds a 4.67 GPA while taking several advanced placement and honors courses. As a member of the Beta Club and National Honor Society, Pearsall remains active in the community, and she traveled to Nicaragua last summer on a mission trip for the Soccer Without Borders program. This fall, Pearsall will continue her soccer career at East Carolina University.

Danny Miller is involved in soccer as a player, coach, referee, and even as a tournament president. He’s played in the US Youth Soccer Region IV Championships, US Youth Soccer National League and Dallas Cup as a member of Fram 18 Premier, of California South. Miller also played on the back-to-back US Youth Soccer ODP Championship-winning sides from California South. Additionally, he holds a Grade 8 referee license and has coached at Fram Soccer Club camps. As a high school junior, Miller founded a 3v3 soccer tournament, which featured 16 teams from local schools, to raise money to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa. In addition to his involvement in several other community activities, Miller has earned a 4.9 GPA in high school while taking advanced placement courses. He has received numerous academic honors and is a three-time Presidential Service Award recipient — an award honoring individuals who perform more than 100 hours of community service per year. After high school, Miller will be attending the University of California, Berkeley.

"US Youth Soccer strives to develop players' skills, as well as their characters. Both Charlotte and Danny have taken the important life lessons that soccer offers its participants and given back to the game and their communities. US Youth Soccer is proud to remember Billy Goaziou by contributing to the lives of these young adults as they continue to succeed and move forward to college this fall," said John Sutter, president of US Youth Soccer.

Goaziou was involved in soccer for more than 25 years as a coach and administrator. He served as treasurer of US Youth Soccer and the Florida Youth Soccer Association, as well as chairman of the US Youth Soccer budget and US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program committees. In 1994, he took office as the U.S. Soccer Federation's treasurer and was re-elected four times (1996, 1998, 2000 and 2004). Beyond the soccer world, Goaziou served his country in the U.S. Marine Corps.